Method for the control of fungi



United States Patent 3,397,274 METHOD FOR THE CONTROL OF FUNGI James Wellington Clapp, Princeton, N.J., assignor to American Cyanamid Company, Stamford, Conn, a corporation of Maine No Drawing. Original application Nov. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 410,269. Divided and this application Feb. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 613,088

6 Claims. (Cl. 424-316) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a novel method for the control of fungi utilizing a g-uanidine represented by the formula:

R-O-R NH-( INHz and the acid addition salts thereof wherein R is an alkyl substituent containing from 8 to 18 carbon atoms and R is an alkyl radical containing from 3 to 4 carbon atoms.

This application is a divisional of my copending application, Ser. No. 410,269, filed on Nov. 10, 1964, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The defined guanidines are characterized as white solids, the free bases being strongly alkaline and possessing low solubility in water, while their salts are more nearly neutral and have varying degrees of water solu- '-bility. Since the salts are generally more readily isolated and more easily handled than the free bases, they are often preferred for incorporation into a variety of compositions suitable for application. In French Patent No. 788,439, the broadly defined compounds hereinabove are said to be bactericidal. However, the patent is devoid of any teaching or suggestion as to any other utility possessed by the defined compound.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to the control of fungi which, in general, comprises the application to-an area to be protected from fungi an effective toxic amount of a compound of the formula:

and acid addition salts thereof, wherein R represents an alkyl group from 8 to 18 carbon atoms and R is defined as either trimethylene or tetramethylene.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In general, the effective guanidine fungicides falling within the purview of the invention are prepared by reacting an appropriate amine with cyanamide in the presence of sufiicient acid so that the pH of the reaction mixture is maintained between about 8 and about 10. Advantageously, equimolar amounts of the appropriate amine and cyanamide at temperatures ranging from about 85 C. to about 105 C. for a period from about fifteen minutes to about five hours are employed. For optimum operation, a mole excess of the cyanamide, usually not more than about 10%, can be employed to obtain improved yields of the desired guanidine. Illustrative guanidine compounds so prepared are: [3-(octyloxy)propyllguanidine, [3-(octyloxy)-propyl]guanidine bicarbonate, [3-(octyloxy)propyl] guanidine acetate, [3-(octyloxy)propyl] guanidine sulfate, [3-(decyloxy)-propyl]guanidine acetate, [4-(octyloxy) "ice butyl] guanidine acetate, and [3-(2-ethylhexyloxy)propyl] guanidine acetate.

The acid addition salts of the respective guanidines are prepared by reacting the resultant guanidine with either an organic or inorganic acid, such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, propionic acid or phthalic acid. However, some guanidine acid addition salts can also be converted to other acid addition salts, such as the conversion of an acetate to a carbonate by adding sodium carbonate solution to an aqueous solution of the acetate salt, or a carbonate to a sulfate by adding sulfuric acid to the carbonate salt and collecting the precipitated product. Of course, free bases of the substituted guanidines can be readily prepared from their salts by, for example, dissolving the salts in an aqueous solvent, such as 1:1 isopropanol-water, and treating the solution with a suitable ion-exchange resin to replace the anions by hydroxyl ions to form water and then separating the remaining solution and evaporating to dryness.

To further illustrate the invention, the following examples are presented by way of illustration. They are not to be construed as limitative thereof and the parts given are by weight.

Example 1.-Preparation of [3-(octyloxy)propyl] guanidine bicarbonate To a suitable reaction vessel containing 37.5 parts of 3-(octyloxy)propylamine are added 6.7 parts of glacial acetic acid. The mixture is warmed to a temperature of about C. A 25 aqueous cyanamide solution (57.2

parts by volume) and 3.7 parts of glacial acetic acid are next added simultaneously with continuous stirring over a period of 1 hour. The temperature'of the reaction mixture during addition is maintained at between 94 C. and 96 C. Upon completion of the addition of the latter, resultant solution is stirred at between 94 C. and 96 C. for an additional 3 hours. Thereafter, the contents of the vessel are cooled to room temperature and treated with sodium carbonate solution prepared by disolving 22.2 parts of sodium carbonate in 50 parts of Water. Resultant precipitate is collected and separated from the reaction vessel by filtration. A white solid salt is washed with water and then 'with acetone and finally dried. 35 parts of [3-(octyloxy)propyl]guanidine bicarbonate which represents a 60.2% yield is obtained having a melting point between C. and 117 C. T-wo recrystallizations from ethanol provide an analytically pure product having a melting point between 116 C. and 118 C. Upon analysis, the following data is established in percent:

Calcd. for C H N O C, 53.58; H, 10.03; N, 14.42. Found: C, 54.17; H, 10.27; N, 14.52.

Example 2.Preparation of [3-'(octyloxy)propyl] guanidine acetate 10 parts of [3- (octyloxy)propyl]guanidine bicarbonate prepared in Example 1 above are suspended in 25 parts of water and 4 parts (-by volume) of glacial acetic acid. Resultant mixture is concentrated in vacuo to a viscous liquid that solidifies at room temperature. 6.4 parts by weight of resultant substituted guanidine acetate amounting to a 68.2% yield is obtained. The acetate melts at between 63 C. and 65 C. After four recrystallizations from acetone, a pure product having a melting point of about 68 C. to 69 C. is obtained. On analysis, the following in percent is recorded.

Calcd. 01 CHI-131N303: C, H, N, Found: C, 58.10; H, 10.67; N, 15.36.

Example 3.-Preparation of [3-(decyloxy)propyl]- guanidine carbonate In a suitable reaction vessel containing 40.0 parts of 3-(decyloxy)propylamine are added 6.5 parts of glacial acetic acid. The temperature of the mixture is increased to 94 C. Thereafter, 57 parts of a 25% aqueous cyanamide solution and 3.5 parts of glacial acetic acid are added simultaneously with stirring over a period of 1 hour, while maintaining the temperature at 94 C.- 96 C. The viscous mixture is heated at 94 C.96 C. for an addiitonal 3 hours, then cooled to room temperature and the semi-solid treated with 19.2 parts of sodium carbonate in fifty parts of water. The precipitate formed is fitered and thoroughly washed with water and then with acetone. After drying in an oven, the weight of the guanidine salt is 40.8 parts representing a yield of 74.6% of theoretical. Its melting point is about 120 C. After four recrystallizations from ethanol, there is obtained analytically pure product having a melting point of 140 C. On analysis, the following is found in percent:

Calcd. for C H N O C, 60.38; H, 11.18; N, 14.57. Found: C, 60.04; H, 11.20; N, 14.82.

Example 4.-Preparation of [3-(decyloxy)propyl]- guanidine acetate The conversion of the guanidine carbonate as prepared in Example 3 above to the corresponding acetate is accomplished by means of glacial acetic acid addition thereto at 60 C. Two parts of the acetic acid are added to 10 parts of the carbonate in twenty-five parts of water and the mixture is then stirred at 50 C.-60 C. for minutes. It is next concentrated in vacuo and the resulting white solid is dried and recrystallized once from ether to recover 5.03 parts of a white solid whose melting point is between 75 C.77 C. Recrystallizations Calcd. for C H N O C, 59.36; H, 10.96; N, 13.85. Found: C, 59.11; H, 10.81; N, 13.84. i i

In this example, the 4-(octyloxy)butylamine is prepared by initially reacting sodium octoxide in octanol with 1,4-dibromobutane to form 4-brornobutyl octyl ether, then reacting the latter with potassium phthalimide to form N-[4-(octyloxy)butyl]phthalimide and, finally, cleaving this phthalimide with hydrazine to form the desired amine.

In order to establish the efficacy of the foregoing guanidine compounds, the examples below illustrate the microbiological activity of the compounds contemplated by the present invention.

Example 6 For the following test, agar plates are prepared by measuring twenty ml. of sterile mineral salts agar into sterile petri dishes and admixing therewith a sufficient quantity of solution containing test compound to provide 25, 50, 100 or 250 ppm. of compound in the mixture. The mixtures are then permitted to solidify and are inoculated on the surface with one drop of each inoculum prepared by suspending spores and mycelium from cultures of Aspergillus niger, F usarium monilifol me, Penicillium citri-num, Pullularia: pullulans, Pythium deBaryanum and Rhizoctonia solani in sterile deionized water. After inoculation, the plates are covered and incubated at 23 C. for 72 hours. Results are observed and recorded as least concentration in p.p.m. to inhibit growth. Results of tests with the compounds of the instant invention are provided in Table I below.

TABLE I.-FUNGI INHIBITION TESTS Least Concentration to Inhib1t Compound A. niger F. momli- P. citrinum P. Py. de- R. solani forms pullula'ns Barz anum [3-(Octyloxy)propyl guanidine bicarbonate-.- 25 25 25 25 25 250 l3-(Octyloxy)propyl guanidine acetate 25 25 50 25 25 250 [3-(Decyloxy)propyl guanidine carbonate 25 100 100 50 25 25 [3-(Decyloxy)propy1 guanidine acetate 250 250 100 50 50 50 [4-(Octyloxy)butyl]guanidine acetate 100 100 25 25 from acetone afford colorless needles of melting point Example 7 equal to 80 C.8l C. On analysis, the following is recorded in percent:

Calcd. for C16H35N303I C, H, N, 13.24. Found: C, 60.97; H, 11.09; N, 13.24.

Example 5.Preparation of [4-(octyloxy)butyl]- guanidine acetate To determine the efficacy of the compounds of the invention against the disease organism, Venturz'a inaequalis, responsible for apple scab, apple seedlings are thoroughly sprayed with aqueous or aqueous-acetone solutions containing /2 or 1 pound of test compound per 100 gallons of solution. After spraying, the seedlings are permitted to dry and then inoculated with V. inaequalis. The inoculum is prepared in tap water and contains approximately 100,000 conidia per ml. obtained from freshly sporulating lesions. Inoculation of the treated seedlings is accomplished by atomizing the inoculum uniformly on to the foilage. Following inoculation, the seedlings are placed in humidity cabinets maintained at about F. and relative humidity for 14 days. On termination of the incubation period, the seedlings are removed from the cabinets and examined for lesions. Results of the instant tests appear in Table II below.

TABLE II.APPLE SCAB Number of lesions (3 tree reps.)

1 2 trees only.

Advantageously, the compounds of the invention can be formulated as a dust or spray by methods known in the art. For instance, dusts are readily prepared by admixing from 5% to 25% by weight of the active compound with an inert powder carrier, such attaclay, pumice, kaolin, fullers earth or talc. Sprays can be made up as emulsifiable concentrates or wettable powders which are dispersed in water prior to application. Emulsifiable concentrates are prepared by dissolving the active material in an organic solvent, such as lower alcohols exemplified by isopropanol, or butanol and ketones, such as methylethyl ketone and thereafter adding to the latter mixture 21 small amount, within the range of 2% to 5% based on the weight of the mixture, an emulsifying or dispersing agent which is commercially available. These include, for instance, the salts of alkylaryl sulfonic acids, the fatty acid esters of polyhydric alcohols, the sodium salt of polymerized propyl naphthalene sulfonic acid and equivalents thereof.

I claim:

1. A method of controlling fungi which comprises contacting said fungi with a fungicidally effective amount of a compound selected from the group consisting of a compound of the formula:

and the acid addition salts thereof, wherein R is alkyl c from 8 to 18 carbon atoms and R is alkyl of from 3 to carbon atoms.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the con pound is: [3-(octyloxy)propyl] guanidine bicarbonate.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the con pound is: [3-(octyloxy)propyl]guanidine acetate.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the con pound is: [3-(decyloxy)propyl]guanidine carbonate.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the con pound is: [3-(decyloxy)propyl]guanidine acetate.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the COII. pound is: [3-(octyloxy)propyl]guanidine.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1935 France.

OTHER REFERENCES ALBERT T. MEYERS, Primary Examiner.

R. S. DORCAS, Assistant Examiner. 

